Learn how to make concrete leaves to decorate your garden

If at any point you’ve been thinking about what to do with leaves that come from pruning plants, a great alternative is to make leaves out of concrete. This type of decoration is very fashionable. Plus, it’s a craft that can be done as a family.

Among the most suitable plants is the rhubarb. It is large in size and quite strong in texture. It has been used in cooking and baking. But it’s not the only one; you can use sheets of any size and it all depends on your creativity.

Sure, keep that in mind the more natural detail the leaf has, the better. In the case of large leaves it is necessary to use cement, but for small ones this material can be replaced with clay.

Step by step to create your concrete slabs

We will teach you, step by step, how to make concrete leaves to decorate your garden or the space you think could be the home of these perennial elements.

Materials

• Cement.
• Sand.
• Sheets in the size you prefer.
• A plastic container for preparing the cement.
• Spatula.
• Waterfall.
• Cardboard to make the work base.

Steps to follow

1. Prune the plants in your garden and choose the leaves with which you want to make your decoration. Cut them off with a good stalk and make sure they don’t break. The fuller and healthier your design is, the better.
2. Now, what you need to do is prepare the concrete. Then put the cement and sand into the plastic container, which should be double the amount of cement. With the help of the spatula mix very well. Ideally, before adding the water, the two materials are mixed very well.
3. To make your preparation easier put only 3/4 of the cement with the sand in the plastic container and as much water as the manufacturer of your product recommends you use. Once incorporated homogeneously, place the rest of the cement with sand and mix to obtain a mixture at its ideal point.
4. It’s time to prepare the leaves! Place the cardboard on the floor or wherever you want to work and place the first sheet on it back side up. This way the textured part will be more exposed.
5. Now start pouring the concrete onto the sheet. With the help of the spatula, apply force so that the texture is well marked and remember that it must be a thick layer. This process must be done on as many sheets as you want to do.
6. They should dry very well naturally, so make sure you don’t leave them where they can get wet.
7. Once the cement is dry, carefully remove the sheet. Now is your chance to place them like this, rustic, in the area of ​​the garden you want to decorate. You can also apply paint to increase texture and give them a more realistic look.

Decorating options for the garden with concrete leaves

These sheets of concrete that you made with your own hands can decorate the garden in different ways. We tell you some options:

• Rustic leaf runner: you can make enough concrete slabs to make a path in your garden. To achieve this, while they dry, holes must be made in the earth the size of the leaves. Don’t make them so flimsy, as they can be loose, making passers-by uncomfortable.
• Round Leaves Trail: If what you want to do is a path of round concrete sheets, the only thing you need to add to the above process is a mold on the sheet before pouring the concrete. You will need to make the holes we are talking about the same size as the mold you are using.
• dishes: If you want to place these leaves in strategic places in the garden to collect some water that can be used by birds or other animals that visit your garden, you need to add an extra step. Place the base cardboard and make a mound of earth; then position the sheet so that when you apply the cement, a hole will be made.
• Pots for other plants: Another option is to join several sheets of concrete that you’ve already made to form a Matera for your favorite plants.
• edge of a pond: If you have a pond or pond in your yard, surround it with your cement sheets.

Making concrete slabs is very simple!

Making concrete slabs to decorate your garden or other spaces is very simple, as you will have understood. Remember that the most important thing is to obtain an ideal cement mixture to handle, but strong enough and unbreakable when dry.

As mentioned above, this type of craft also requires a high level of concentration, creativity and patience. In fact, you could try this technique with other types of elements other than leaves, but with texture. It all depends on what you want to do and how you want to decorate your home.

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